Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is a technique used often in studio lighting. It is characterised by a triangle of light under one of the subjects eyes. It is named after famous artist Rembrandt, who used this style in his portrait paintings, and has become a favourite of many photographers.
It can be achieved by using either 2 lights, or 1 light and a reflector, and using a high key light. Normally, the key light is placed high and to one side of the subjects face, and a fill light or reflector is placed at half height on the opposite side. Only one side of the face is fully lit, while the other side uses the interaction of shadows and light (chiaroscuro) to create the geometric form. The triangle itself should be no longer than their nose and no wider than their eye.
 




Setup